Search Previous Year Questions

The correct answer is '1' i.e. Ascetic.

Key Points

• The word "Ascetic" refers to a person who leads a life of severe self-discipline and abstains from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious or spiritual reasons.
• Agnostic: A person who believes that nothing can be known about the existence of God.
• Mystic: A person who seeks spiritual truth and believes in achieving a connection with the divine through contemplation and meditation.
• Skeptic: A person who questions or doubts accepted opinions and beliefs.

Correct sentence: An ascetic avoids all forms of indulgence, often for religious or spiritual reasons.

Additional Information

• Asceticism: A lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures, often pursued for spiritual goals.
• Ascetic practices are common in many religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, where they are seen as a way to achieve spiritual enlightenment or closeness to the divine.

The correct answer is '1' i.e. nor.

Key Points

• The sentence uses a correlative conjunction pair "neither" and "nor" to indicate that both the principal investigator and the co-authors did not anticipate the backlash.
• Option "nor" is grammatically correct because it complements "neither" in this structure.
• Other options, such as "or", "and", or "nor did", do not fit the grammatical structure of this sentence.

Correct sentence: Neither the principal investigator nor the co-authors anticipated the backlash.

Additional Information

• Neither...nor:
• This pair of correlative conjunctions is used to join two negative ideas.
• Example: Neither the team members nor the coach were prepared for the match.
• Usage: Ensures both parts of the sentence are negative.
• Other conjunctions:
• "Or" is used to present alternative options, but does not fit in this sentence.
• "And" is used to connect two positive or neutral ideas, which is not appropriate here.
• "Nor did" introduces a new clause and is not suitable for this sentence structure.

The correct answer is '3' i.e. when .

Key Points

• The sentence refers to a specific moment in time (next Friday) when an event (final approval) is expected to occur.
• "When" is the correct word to use here because it links the timing of the board meeting with the expectation of final approval.
• The other options do not fit the context or grammatical structure of the sentence appropriately.

Correct sentence: The board will convene next Friday, when final approval is expected.

Additional Information

• Usage of other options:
• Option 1 ("at which"): Indicates a location or moment in which something happens. However, in this sentence, "when" better conveys the timing of the event.
• Option 2 ("on which"): Refers to a specific date or day but is awkward and less natural in this context.
• Option 4 ("whereupon"): Means "immediately after," but does not fit the sentence structure or meaning here.

The correct answer is '2' i.e. dislodge .

Key Points

• The given sentence talks about the need for a paradigm shift to counteract entrenched bureaucratic inertia, implying a strong and forceful action is required.
• The verb “dislodge” means to remove or force out from a position or state, which fits perfectly in the context of overcoming entrenched inertia.
• Other options like “persuade” and “disillusion” do not convey the idea of forceful removal, while “dissuasion” is a noun and does not fit grammatically.

Correct sentence: Nothing short of a paradigm shift will dislodge the entrenched bureaucratic inertia.

Additional Information

• Entrenched: Refers to something deeply established or fixed.
• Inertia: A tendency to resist change or remain unchanged.
• Dislodge: To forcibly remove something or someone from a position.

The correct answer is '3' i.e. are, in fact, coincidental overlaps .

Key Points

• The subject of the sentence is "Much", which is singular.
• Therefore, the verb should be singular to maintain subject-verb agreement.
• The use of "are" is incorrect. It should be replaced with "is".

Correct sentence: Much of what appears to be coordination among the regulatory bodies and private stakeholders is, in fact, coincidental overlaps caused by differing mandates.

Additional Information

• Subject-Verb Agreement:
• Singular subjects must have singular verbs, while plural subjects must have plural verbs.
• Example: The book is interesting (singular). The books are interesting (plural).
• Common Errors:
• Using plural verbs with singular subjects.
• Not identifying the correct subject in a complex sentence.

The correct answer is '4' i.e. adheres to the central directive as framed.

Key Points

• The subject of the clause in part (4) is "all peripheral institutions," which is plural.
• The verb "adheres" is in its singular form, which is incorrect because it does not agree with the plural subject.
• The correct verb form should be "adhere" to agree with the plural subject.

Correct sentence: That the framework lacks provisions for backward compatibility is less problematic than the assumption that all peripheral institutions will, without coercion, adhere to the central directive as framed.

Additional Information

• Subject-Verb Agreement:
• The verb must agree in number with the subject (singular subject takes singular verb, and plural subject takes plural verb).
• In this case, "all peripheral institutions" is a plural subject, so the verb should be "adhere" (plural form).
• Key Error: The use of "adheres" in part (4) breaks the rule of subject-verb agreement, making the sentence grammatically incorrect.

The correct answer is '3' i.e. Archived manuscripts can seldom be accessed without clearance.

Key Points

• The given sentence is in the active voice, and the task is to convert it into the passive voice.
• The structure of the sentence in the active voice is: Subject + Modal Verb + Base Verb + Object + Additional Information.
• To convert this into the passive voice, the structure becomes: Object + Modal Verb + Be + Past Participle + Additional Information.
• In the given sentence, "People" is the subject, "can access" is the modal verb + base verb, and "archived manuscripts" is the object.
• In the passive voice, "archived manuscripts" becomes the subject of the sentence, and "can be accessed" is used to maintain the correct structure.

Correct sentence: Archived manuscripts can seldom be accessed without clearance.

Additional Information

• Common Passive Voice Rules:
• Identify the object in the active sentence and make it the subject in the passive sentence.
• Add the appropriate form of the verb "to be" based on the tense of the original sentence.
• Use the past participle form of the main verb.
• Examples:
• Active: People must clean the room. → Passive: The room must be cleaned.
• Active: Students should complete the assignment. → Passive: The assignment should be completed.

The correct answer is '2' i.e. The chef prepared a sauce of deep gules and cumin. .

Key Points

• Highlighted Word: Gules (Hindi meaning: सुर्ख़ / लाल रंग - Surkh / Laal rang)
• Original Context (Heraldry): In the original sentence, 'gules' refers to the heraldic color red, typically represented by vertical lines in engravings. It is a specific term used in coats of arms.
• Homonym Analysis: A homonym is a word that has the same spelling and sound as another but a different meaning.
• Option 2 (Culinary): In this sentence, the word 'gules' (though rare in modern English outside of heraldry) is used as a homonym to describe a deep red color or a specific red ingredient/hue in a sauce, rather than the formal heraldic symbol.
• Options 1, 3, and 4 all use the word in its original heraldic sense (tapestry, border of lineage, and heraldry symbolism).

Additional Information

• Heraldic Tinctures:
• Gules: Red (लाल)
• Argent: Silver or White (चांदी जैसा / सफेद)
• Or: Gold or Yellow (सुनहरा / पीला)
• Azure: Blue (नीला)
• Etymology: The word comes from the Old French goules, referring to the red mouth of an animal, derived from the Latin gula (throat).

The correct answer is '2' i.e. Someone delivers the package to the office every morning .

Key Points

• The given sentence is in the passive voice.
• In the passive voice, the subject receives the action, whereas in the active voice, the subject performs the action.
• The sentence "The package is delivered to the office every morning" follows the structure of passive voice: "Object + is/are + past participle + by agent."
• To convert it into active voice, we need to identify the subject that performs the action. In this case, "someone" is the implied subject.
• The active voice structure would be: "Subject + verb + object."

Correct sentence: Someone delivers the package to the office every morning.

Additional Information

• Passive to Active Voice Rule:
• Identify the subject performing the action in the passive sentence (if it's not explicitly mentioned, use "someone" or "they").
• Reconstruct the sentence in the active voice with the subject performing the action.
• For example:
• Passive: "The book was read by the student."
• Active: "The student read the book."

The correct answer is: Facilitating free flow of information. Social media primarily serves a democratic function by enabling unrestricted sharing and access to information, fostering transparency and participation as per the paragraph.